Haitians need shelter ahead of storm season: Red Cross

It is estimated 700 camps have been set up in Haiti's quake zone and thousands are sleeping in the streets.

Over a million Haitians will need emergency shelter ahead of the upcoming hurricane season, the International Red Cross says.

David Pappiat of the British Red Cross told a press conference in Montreal that around 1.2 million people are without shelter.

He estimates that 700 camps have been set up in Haiti's quake zone and that thousands are sleeping in the streets.

The Red Cross's current priority is to ready shelters for Haiti's hurricane season.

"Many of these people will be in settlements for years to come," said Mr Pappiat.

Haitian Red Cross president Michael Amedee Gedeon says the Red Cross wants to provide shelter that is not just temporary.

"We're trying to set up shelters that can withstand the coming rainy season, the hurricane season, and that can last three to five years," he said.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has deployed some 600 people to help Haiti with relief efforts. They will also focus on providing water and sanitation, health services, and boosting the local community.

But the emergency, recovery, reconstruction and long-term development needed for survivors are "significant and bigger than any single organisation," the International Red Cross said in a statement.

Coordination with the United Nations, other humanitarian organisations, and governments "will be critical to the success of operations."